Machine for conditioning shrimp



July 11, 1950 R. K. SWINDVEN MACHINE FOR connnzoumc SHRIMP 5 She ets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 19, 1946 INVENTOR. W If. 5% BY lllll lllllllll\\i,

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MACHINE FOR CONDITIONING SHRIMP 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 19, 1946 July 11, 1950 R. K. SWINDEN MACHINE FOR CONDITIONING SHRIMP 5 Sheets-Sheeti Filed Jan; 19, 1946 W Z 4 M M 1 F a I I w 4 M, 5 n ull F H. 6

y 1950 n R. K. SWINDEN 2,515,101

MACHINE FOR CONDITIONING SHRIMP Filed Jan. 19, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 *(5 I 15 I4 3/ I,

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July 11, 1950 R. K. SWINDEN momma FOR counmcmnc swamp 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 19 1946 m Jnwzszgox. 70- l BY Patented July 11, 1950 MACHINE FOR CONDITIONING SHRIMP Reginald K. Swinden, Houston, Tex.

Application January 19, 1946, Serial No. 642,349

11 Claims.

This invention relates to a .machine for condition'ing shrimp.

An object of -the invention is to provide a machine of "the character described specially designed for removing the alimentary canal, known. as -the sand string, from shrimp.

It is a further object of the invention to provide, "in a machine of the character described,

means for removing said sand string without injuring r mutilating the shrimp.

A still further object of the invention is to provide, in a "machine "oi the character described,

a "special type: of cutter disc assembly which will remove the sand string with'theloss of a minimum edible portion of the shrimp.

'The invention further comprehends means for constantly cleansing the cutter disc assembly.

A still further-object of the-invention is toprovide a machine of the character describedwhich is automatic in "its operation.

With the above and other objects in view -the .inventionhas particular relation to certain novel features of constructiomoperation and arrange in section.

Figure '2 i a vertical, sectional view.

Figure 3 is an end view, partlybroken away.

Figure 4 isa transverse, sectional view, partly broken away.

Figure 5 is an-enlarged,fragmentary end view shown partly in section.

FigureG- is an enlarged, fragmentary, longitudinal sectional view taken on the'line 6-6 of Figure'5.

Figure 7 is an enlarged, side elevation, partly in section, ofthe 'disc'cleaner.

Figure 8 is"a ,plan view thereof.

Figure ,9.is a cross-sectional View thereof taken onlthe'line 99 of Figure 7. v

. Figure .10 is an.enlarged,e1evational View of a clamp .employedshowing the shrimp mounted therein.

.Figure ll isv an .enlarge'djfragmentary, sectional view thereof taken on' the line Ill-II of Figure 10.

"Figure 12 is an enlarged, fragmentary plan view of the clamp.

Figure 13 is a cross-sectional View thereof taken on the line I 3-|'3 of Figure 10.

Figure 14 is across-sectional view of thecon- .ditioned shrimp; and,

ings wherein like numerals of reference designate the .same parts in each of the figures, the numeral I designates a suitable base, secured to and upstanding from which are the side supporting standards 2 which are spaced apart.

There is a transverse, tubular, supporting spindle 3 whose ends are fixed in said s ndards, and suitably secured therein, as shown in Figure 4.

Rotatably mounted on said spindle there is a hub 4, one end of which abuts an externa1 annular shoulder 5 on the spindle and whose other end abuts a ring 6 around the spindle and secured thereon by a set screw 1.

Fixed to the hub 4 and extending outwardly therefrom in parallel relation with the spindle are the spokes :8 and fixed on the outer ends of uthesespokes there is a sprocket wheel 9.

In the present illustration 9, line shaft 10 is provided which may be-rotated from any suitable source'of power, and fixed on this shaft there is a sprocket wheel ,II aligned with the sprocket wheel 9 and a sprocket chain I2 operates over these sprocket wheels and tr smits rotation from the sprocket wheel I I to the sprocket wheel '9 and to the hub '4.

.Also fixed onthe hub 4 are the radiating spokes 1:3 whose outer ends carry clamps, each clamp comprising the jaws I4 and I5. The spokes I3 "are "tubular and threaded ontotheir outer ends .are the caps I 6 whose outer ends are formed with the pairs of spaced lugs l1, [1, said pairs being spacedapart and the lugs of each pair being also spaced apart. The clamp jaws'I 4, I5 are fastened to similar .base plates 18, I8, in any approved manner, preferably by set screws i9, I9 and these respective plates are formed with hinge members 20, '20 which are fitted between the lugs H of the'respective pair and :hinge pins 21,2I are fitted through each pair of lugs I1 and through the corresponding hinge members 20 whereby the clamp jaws I4, I5 are pivotally mounted on the outer ends of said-spokes.

Each cap 16 has a central bearing 22 and there is a jaw actuating rod 23 which works through each bearing into the corresponding spoke and whose inner end has a nut 24 threaded thereon.

A coil spring 25 surrounds each rod 23 and is interposed between the cap l6 and the nut 24.

The pressure of said spring may be regulated by adjusting the nut 24 on the rod 23 and said .adjustment may be maintained by the lock nut 26 also threaded ,onto the rod 23.

Theouter end of each rod 23 has oppositely disposed notchesZI, 21 and the hinge members Zllfhave inwardly extended arms 2.8, 4% whose free ends extend into said notches. The outer end of each rod 23 is reduced and fitted on said reduced end there is a washer 29 which is pinned I thereon by the pin 30 so as to limit the inward movement of the rod'23.

Figures 10, 11 and 12 to support the shrimp, as

hereinafter explained, and also has an inwardly extended stop 32 against which the large end of the shrimp rests when the shrimp is positioned in the clamp.

It will be noted from an inspection of Figure 12 that the space between the clamp jaws I4 and I5 slightly widens forwardly so as to better conform to the contour of the shrimp held in the clamp.

Between the clamps are the arcuate tracks .3 with their concaved sides outwardly. The ends of these tracks are secured to the corresponding caps l6 and their outer surfaces merge in the outer surfaces of the corresponding clamps jaws 4 so that said outer surfaces of said jaws form, in effect, continuation of said tracks. The midportion of the tracks 33 are supported on the hub 31 whose inner face is formed with a cam shaped groove 38.

Each clamp jaw l4 has an arm 39 secured 1 thereto which extends diagonally outwardly therefrom and on whose outer end there is l mounted a roller bearing 40.

The hub 4 with its radiating spokes I3 and the clamp members thereon and the tracks between ing rod 23 which in turn will cause the opposing jaw |5 to swing open. This simultaneous movement of the jaws l4 and I5 is caused by the arms 28 which project into the notches 21 of the corresponding rod 23, the corresponding spring 25 being placed under compression. As the bearings pass the cam grooves 36, 38 the jaws which have been open will be moved to closed position by the expansion of the corresponding springs 25. i The jaws are shown in open position to receive a 1 shrimp in Figure 1 and in open position to discharge the shrimp, as shown in Figure 4. The

entrant ends of the cam grooves are slightly flared so as to insure the entrance of the rollerbearings into said grooves.

Pivotally mounted on the base I there is a relatively wide, supplemental frame 4| and mounted on the upper end of this frame there is an electric motor 42 having an extended shaft 43. Opposite the motor 42 on the supplemental frame 4| there is a bearing 44 extending through which there is a bushing 45 which is maintained in place by a set screw 46. The inner end of this bushing is enlarged fOI'miIlg an annular Shoulder to the curvature of the cutter discs 5|.

which abuts the inner side of the bearing 44 and; the inner end of the bushing 45 is formed into a. disc-like plate 41 to the inner side of which the-- annular hub 48 is secured and said bushing has. a reduced extension, extending inwardly from. said plate through said hub.

Rotatably mounted on the hub 48 there is a rim. 49 whose outer surface may, if desired, be formed of rubber. This rotatable rim is confined between the margin of theplate 41 and an external annular shoulder on the hub 48. The shaft 43 extends axially through, and rotates in, the bushing 45.

Keyed on the shaft 43, between the hub 48 and the motor- 42 there isa cutter disc assembly. This assembly comprises the end guide discs 50, 50, the disc-like cutters 5|, 5|, between the discs 50 and the ejector disc 52 between the disc-like cutters. This assembly is clamped together by the screws 53.

As will be noted from an inspection of Figure 5, the margins of the discs 50 converge so as to guide the shrimp with respect to the disc-like cutters and the margins of the cutters terminate in sharp: cutting edges which extend out beyond the margins of the discs 5!] and the margins of the cut ters are preferably beveled inwardly. The ejector disc is of slightly less transverse diameter than that of the cutters and its margin is formed with forwardly pitched teeth 54. The disc-likecutters 5|; 5| are spaced apart a sufiicient distance to make an incision on each side of the sand string, or alimentary canal, of the shrimp of the required depth and the teeth of the disc 52 will eject the same as the cut is made.

It is desirable that provision be made for cleansing the cutters as the work progresses. For that reason a bracket 55 is secured to the upper side of the supplemental frame 4| and the upper end of this bracket is formed into an outwardly curved guard 56 which partially surrounds and is spaced from the cutter disc assembly; There is a cleaning device inserted through the guard 56 which comprises a water container 51 and opposed elongatedjaws 58, 58 which are hinged thereto. The inner ends of these jaws are arcuate to conform These arcuate ends are externally beveled, asat 59, to wedge against the tapering margins of the discs 52. These jaws are provided with a, longitudinal slot 60 which extends through both of the jaws and fitted tightly in said slot 6|! there is felt 6| whose outer end has a V-notch 62 to fit closely over the beveled margins of the cutter discs 5 l, 5|, as illustrated in Figures 6 and-8. The container 51 is kept supplied with waterand is provided with a small duct 63 so as to allow the water supplied to the felt to keep it moist. A plug 64 is inserted into the outer end of the container 51 and is provided with a small duct 65 to prevent the formation of a vacuum in the container 51. This moist felt will clean the disc-like cutters of all foreign matter as the cutters rotate and the cleaning assembly is fitted tightly through the guard 56 but may be adjusted inwardly from time to time to take up for wear so that the felt will, at all times, be in firm contact with the cutter discs. The guard 56 also prevents the cutter assembly from throwing material outwardly as the cutter assembly rapidly rotates but said material will pass downwardly through the passageway 66 provided for it.

The rotatable rim 49 is held in constant contact with the tracks 33 and with the outer surfaces of the gaws l4 by a pull spring 61, as shown in Figure 1'35 Thispull-sprin'gis-attachedfat;one endgto the base I and at its'other' end-to the undersideof the supplemental frame 4]. This ---spring not only holds the rotatable*riniWSfagairistsaid tracks but arm and atits-other-end tothe-corresponding' standard' Z. I

Depending from the shaft '69 are the spaced arms 12, '52. There is a positioning roller -13 having end pintles which rotate' in bearings in the free ends of the-arms [2. 'This roller has a central groove '-'M aroundit whichds-in-alignment with the groove in the cutter assembly formed by the beveling of the "discsEB. This ller is provided o accurately fmsinonjthe S imp in the 'clamps so'that they'willaccurately align with the'cutter discassembly.

In operation the 'unitmou'nted on the hub 4 will rotate with saidhub. As the roller bearings 40 come into contactsuccessively, with the cam member 35 the corresponding clamp jaws M, 15 will be opened, 'as hereinabove explained, and a shrimp, as 15, may be placed therein, resting on ithefingers' 3 I. "The head of theshrimp will first have been removed-andithe head end of the shrimp will rest against-stop '32, shown in Figure 12. When the roller bearing 40 passes the cam member 35 said clamp jaws will be closed by the operation "of the spring'fi, shown in Figure .11, and "will firmlyclamp 'the'shrimp but not with sufficient violence to mutilate, or

bruise, the :shrimp. As the shrimp passes the positioning roller the outer portion of the shrimp will pass through the groovelc and iftheshrimp is not perfectly aligned with the cutte "discs the positioning roller will align it therewith. As the shrimp comes into contact with the cutting discs the alimentary canal, as '56, thereof will be aligned between the cutting discs and said discs will make an incision on each side of said sand string throughout the length of the shrimp and the ejector disc 52 will remove said sand string and the same will pass through the passageway 66 and fall onto the base I or nto a suitable receptacle provided to receive it.

As hereinbefore stated the outer margins of the discs 5t, 5t converge and, as shown in Figure 5, at their outer sides they have outwardly extended rims. These are provided to prevent the particles of the matter being ejected from being thrown out laterally onto the rim 49, but will direct said. particles tangentially downwardly.

The conditioned shrimp will be carried on around until the bearing roller to contacts the cam member 3'5 whereupon the jaws M, I5 will be opened, as shown in Figure 4., and the shrimp will be discharged through the chute TI, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, into a suitable recep tacle provided for the purpose.

The drawings and description disclose what is now considered to be a preferred form of the invention, by way of illustration only, and not by way of limitation, while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims,-

on the support and :having means a .margins and means for suppl 'throughfiwhichthe liquid therein may -flow to said absorbent material to saturate the same.

2. In a, machine for conditioning shrimp; a cutter unit embodying two distlike cutters 'spaced-apartpa support on which the cutterunit l5 isymountedga' bracket "on said support, acleaning element a'djustably mounted on the bracket and-including a "container, jaws hinged to one end .of the container "and'arranged to embrace 'thegcutter margins, and a soft absorbent mate- 'rial'in'the jaws'incontact with the-outer's'ides of the margins of the cutters, said container having "a duct through which-a cleansing fluid may now therefrom tos-aid material and "also havingan air inlet into'the container.

'3. *In ,a machine .for conditioning shrimp; a support, a rotatable cutter'unit 'the'support embodying spaced discs whose mam: converge inwardly, disc-like cutters between said discs and spaced apart, and a.cleaner.for't?e cutters "one "end which wedge betweenthe margins g! said discs and embrace the margins 'of .t "cutters, "said means including absorbent ma .ial positioned -"to irictionally enga e the outsi' e of "the 'cutter g ,a cleansin ame saturated. shrimp, comble assembly havingtjaws fluid tosai'd material to keep'th 4. A machine for conditionin prising,.a supporting frame, a ro on the. frame including clampmea 40 which are spaced apart and .are 'p inside, opposed, plain faces which are;

receive and clamp ashrimp, shrimps means on the .clamp means, which are s aced apart, cutters spaced apart andarranged'to-cos act with said assembly 'as the latter rotates to form longitudinal incisions, spaced apart, alon the outer side of the shrimp, ejector means between the cutters arranged to remove that portion of the shrimp between the incisions and means for thereafter releasing the clamp means from the shrimp to permit discharge of the conditioned shrimp.

5. A machine for conditioning shrimp comprising, a supporting frame, a rotatable assembly on the frame including clamp means adapted to receive and clamp shrimp, shrimp supporting means on the clamp means, spaced rotatable, disc-like cutters arranged to co-act with id clamp means, as the assembly rotates, to for longitudinal in- 50 cisions, spaced apart, along the shrimp and discshaped means on opposite sides of and rotatable with, said cutters and spaced laterally therefrom adapted to guide the shrimp, which are in the clamp means, relative to the cutters.

6. A machine for conditioning shrimp 0 prising, a support, a rotatable assembly on th support including a plurality of radially extended pairs of jaws forming clamps adapted to receive and clamp shrimp and tracks forming guides between the clamps, the jaws on one side of the assembly, when in clamping position aligning with and merging into adjacent guides, cutters spaced apart and arranged to co-act, successively, with said clamps, as the assembly rotates, to form 75 longitudinal incisions, spaced apart, along the 7 shrimp, and a roller associated with the cutters andmovable along said guides and around said jaws .tomaintain the cutters in co-acting relation with the clamps as said assembly rotates.

7. ,AE machine for conditioning shrimp comprising, a support, a rotatable assembly on the support including a plurality of clamps adapted to. receive and clamp shrimp and tracks forming guides between the clamps, each clamp being formed of two opposing jaws having opposed,

spaced, clamp faces, cutters spaced apart and arranged to co-act, successively, with said clamps, as the assembly rotates, to form longitudinal incisions, spaced apart, along the shrimp, a, roller associated with the cutters and movable along said guides and around the correspondingijaws to maintain the cutters in co-acting relation with the clamps as said assembly rotates, and means between the cutters arranged to disintegrate that 1. portion of the shrimp between the incisions for ejection.

8. A machine for conditioning shrimp comprising, a support, a rotatable assembly on the support including a plurality of clamps, each clam being formed of spaced jaws, adapted to receive and clamp shrimp between said jaws and tracks between the clamps and merging into corresponding jaws thus forming a continuous guide, cutters spaced apart and arranged to co-act, successively, with said clamps, as the assembly rotates, to form longitudinal incisions, spaced apart, along the shrimp, a roller associated with the cutters and movable along said guide to maintain thev cutters in co-acting relation with the clamps as said assembly rotates, and means arranged to successively, co-act with said clamp means and 1 effective to cause said jaws to release the conditioned shrimp.

9. A machine of the character described comprising, a supporting structure, an assembly movable thereon and including a holder formed with" confronting clamp faces to clamp the sides of a shrimp, an arcuate row of spaced projections extending from one face toward the other face and spaced inwardly from the outer margin of the holder tosupport thev shrimp, spaced cutting I means on said structurearranged to make longitudinal incisions in ashrimp in-the holder on opposite sides of the sand string of the shrimp as the holder moves into co-acting relation with the cutters, and means associated with the cutters for removing the sand string from between said incisions.

10. In a machine for conditioning shrimp, 2 support, a rotatableassembly mounted on the support,'a clamp on said assembly including opposed jaws having outer margins that are curved outwardly to substantially conform to the contour 'ofa headless shrimp, said jaws having inside, plain clamping *faces adapted, to clamp the sides of the shrimp, an arcuate row of supporting projections on one of the jaws and extending across the space between said faces and spaced inwardly from the outer margins of the jaws to support REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number I Name Date 1,819,060 Baader Aug. 18, 1931 2,263,695 Grayson Nov. 25, 1941 2,301,729 Krull Nov. 10, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 503,426 Germany May 8, 1929 

